Oil-well apparatus



Aug. 27, 1929. J. A. YERKEs l oIL WELL APPARATUS Filed April 13, 1926 A TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN A. YER-KES, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

OIL-WELL APPARATUS.

Application filed April 13,

This inventionrelates to improvements in oil well apparatus, and in particular to improved means for pumping oil. Two present systems are of universaluse in the pumping of oil, namely, the rod system and what is known as the macaroni. or .tubing method. In the case of the rod system the sucker rods extend down to a working valve, which working valve in turn is associated with a plunger, the said plunger operating within a pump barrel. Beneath the plunger is a standing valve, and the sucker rod is adapted to be reciprocated to reciprocate the working valve and the plunger so as to lift oil to the surface of the well. The pump barrel is associated with tubing through .which the oil .is passed. In the case of the macaroni system a prunp barrel is provided the same as before, within which barrel is a plunger, and carried on the plunger is a working valve. Also connected to the plunger and surrounding the working valve is tubing of smaller diameter, which is called the macaroni tubing, and which tubing extends to the surface of the Well. The plunger is reciprocated by the macaroni string. of tubing and the oil being lifted by the pump is pumped into the macaroni string so that the velocity of the oil is increased due tothe smallness of the diameter of such macaroni with respect to the size of the plunger or the tubing. In the case of the tubing system using sucker rods, the oil is directly discharged through the workingvalve into the'tubing and as thetubing is of larger diameter than the inner diameterV of the plunger sand and shale is allowed to accumulate adjacent the working valve and hinder its operation.`r In the case of the macaroni system the velocity of the oil aids in preventing sand or shale from interfering with the .operation of the working valveas long .as the pump is in operation.y 1f, however the well )um )s olf and is shut down over night, any sediment in the oil willsettle back and cover the working valve.

The use of macaroni tubing is expensive,

particularly'where the well is of any depth,

and an object of the present invention is to have all the advantages of the macaroni system and still use ordinary sucker rods.

Another object is the provision of a system and means for pumping oil in which a proper working of the Working valve may be at all times assured, regardless of whether or not the well is shut down.

1926. Serial No. 101,842.

Other objects include means for use in pumping Wells, which is inexpensive of construction, simple in operation, and generally superior in point of eiiiciency and general durability, as well as in results obtained.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in the drawing andfiinally pointed out in claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a cross sectional elevation of well apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical 'sectional view of certain of the well apparatus incorporating. the invention; and,

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3*3 of Figure 2.

Corresponding parts in all the gures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particularity to the drawing, the improved well apparatus incorporating the invention is designated in entirety by A, of which a, c, al, and e are elements embodying one phase of the invention. In accordance withuse and practice I have shown fragmentarily a walking beam l carrying'a polished rod 2 which is passed through the usual stuiiing box and casing head 3, and which, in turn, is secured to the sucker rods l in the usual manner. The sucker rods are within the well tubing 5f, and this tubing extends within the well hole to where it is coupled with afpump barrel 6, the pump barrel being providedwith the usual liner 7. The pump barrel in turn is secured to perforating pipe or anchor 8, through the medium of the standing valve seat couple 9. A standing valve is seated within the said coupling 9 and the crown of said standing valve has secured thereto a Garbut rod 11, the upper end ofwhich carries a'V nut, not shown, which is received within the plunger c. VThe plunger c is adapted for reciprocat-ion within the liner of the barrel, as is usual. My particular invention resides in the method whereby'the plunger and associated elements are associated with the sucker rods and so that all the advantages of the macaroni system may be utilized without the attendant disadvantage of great expense therefor. The upper end of the plunger e is internally screwthreaded at 12 and adapted to be screwthreaded thereto is a reducing nipple 13 `into the tubing.

which is screw-threaded for engagement with the member d which constitutes an extension having an internal diameter less than the internal diameter of the plunger. The macaroni tube b is of short length, and has an internal diameter approximately equivalent to the internal diameter of the extension d, the said extension Z and the macaroni tube b being coupled by a collar 14, the upper end of the extension and the lower end of the macaroni tube being both externally screwthreaded for screw-threaded engagement with the collar. The upper end of the macaroni tubing is adapted to have secured thereto the working valve a. This working valve is of ordinary construction, including the usual crown or cage 15 having a seat 16 and a ball 17 adapted to be confined between the crown and the seat, the upper end of said crown being screw-threaded, as is usual, whereby the same may be coupled with the sucker rods. The working valve is what is known as an open valve, because fluid lifted by the plunger is passed through said valve and outwardly One feature of my invention resides in the provision of a second valve designated as c and this valve is a blind valve, in that the same is included between the macaroni tube b and the extension d, and the macaroni tube Z) surrounds and confines the crown or cage 18 thereof. The valve c is similar in construction to the working valve in that it has the usual valve seat 19. A base member 2O is formed with a peripheral flange 21, which flange is adapted to be received between the lower end of the macaroni tube b and the upper end of the extension d, and such base is likewise internally screw-threaded as at 22 to receive a collar Q8, which collar is adapted to maintain the valve seat within the base 20. A ball 24 is adapted to be seated on the seat member and is prevented from loss by the cage or crown, in the well understood manner.

As was pointed out in the statement of objects, the present invention utilizes and embodies all the features of the macaroni system and still may use sucker rods, and .it will be seen that when the sucker rods are recipro- V cated within the well tubing that oil or other liquid pumped by the plunger will be forced into the extension l past the valve c, into the macaroni tube and thence past the working valve a. If we assume that the well has stopped operation any sand or shale may settle back upon the working valve, Abut immediately upon recommencing operation of the plunger, the oil will be pumped past the valve c which has not been aHected in the least by any shale or sand, and a pressure will be built up within the macaroni tube and above the valve c sufcient to open the working valve and again allow normal operation of the well.

Due to the difference in diameter between the plunger and the extension and macaroni tube, any liquid pumped through the plunger will have an increased velocity or rate of flow within the extension and macaroni tube, and such liquid will pass outwardly from said macaroni tube past the working valve at a vfairly high velocity. In small wells the velocity of flow of oil is not very great, and where rods are used the working valve is easily impaired, with the result that other systems mustbe utilized in the pumping of such wells if impairment of the working valve is to be prevented. As a consequence the macaroni string is utilized because the small diameter of such string increases the velocity of the fluid therein.

Again referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the valve c takes the place of the working valve, which would be coupled to the macaroni string so the velocity of the oil or other liquid past this valve would be the same as in the macaroni system and this high velocity within this macaroni tube b is sufficient to immediately open the ball valve 17 of the working valve a so that the working valve is at all times kept clear and yet it is only necessary to use sucker rods for pumping purposes. The extension d is utilized for the sole purpose of clearance for the valve c and it is of course obvious that this valve might be directly coupled to the reducing nipple 13 or to the plunger e. This system of using two valves gives longer life or wear, for the reason that when one valve is worn out and leaks, such as the working valve a, the next valve, namely, the valve c, would assume the burden.

It is obvious that various changes and modilications may be made in practicing the invention, in departure from the particular showing of the drawing, withoutdeparting from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Improvements in well apparatus, including a pump barrel having a lining, a plunger in the barrel slidably fitting ,within the lining, a reducing nipple at the upper end of the plunger, an extension of reduced bore connected to the nipple and projecting above the upper end of the plunger, a macaroni tube having a bore similar in size tothe extension bore, a collar connecting the macaroni tube to the upper end of the extens-ion, a blind valve clamped betwen the macaroni 'tube and the extension by the connecting ac vtion of the collar, and a working valve carried at the upper end of the macaroni tube.

2. Improvements in well apparatus, including a pump barrel having a lining, a plunger in the barrel slidably fitting within the lining, a reducing nipple at the upper end of the plunger, an extension of reduced bore connected to the nipplel and projecting'above the upper end of the plunger, a macaroni Within the base of the cage, and a Collar tube having a bore similar in size to the exthreaded in the said base to hold the seat in tension bore, a collar connecting the macaroni place; and a Working valve carried at the up- 10 t-ube to the upper end of the extension, a per end of the macaroni tube.

5 blind Valve including a cage clamped be- In testimony whereof, I have signed my tween the macaroni tube and the extension by name to this specification. the connecting action of said collar, a seat JOHN A. YERKES. 

